


to have and to hold

by 12hues



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25441789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/12hues/pseuds/12hues
Summary: They saved the world, and now they continue to save each other.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 7
Kudos: 125





	to have and to hold

**Author's Note:**

> i tried to write fluff and it turned into a whole lot of angst

In the immediate aftermath, they are steadfast and relentless. 

There’s a definitive high that comes with saving the world, heightened by the overwhelming beauty of the rising sun as it washes over the ruins of the Parnassus. The adrenaline rush of a near impossible victory urges Burning Rescue into action- diving headfirst into the usual routine, search and rescue like any other day on the job, but this time every other station, authority, and able bodied person in Promepolis is scrambling to get to work alongside them. 

The rest of the city’s units are slowly working their way around the exterior of the Parnassus before they scale their way up. There’s plenty of damage and debris to take care of down below, so it’s mostly left to Station 3 to deal with what’s inside, at least during the first wave of search and rescue. With the wide tunnel that’s left from Galo’s hasty descent to Lio’s aid, they have direct access to the center of the ship. The priority becomes the immediate release and rescue of all remaining Burnish still locked into the core. 

Station 3, with Lio in tow, makes their way into the center of the Parnassus.

The core is cold, and pitch black, save for the pillar of light that pierces through the ceiling and illuminates the broken remains of the engine. 

Thousands of pods line the walls. 

The cacophony of moans and cries for help is endless. 

Lio stands before it all, still as stone and white as marble with the way the light illuminates his rigid form. The easy smile he wore at daybreak is gone, now replaced with something much colder, and much further away. 

The echoing wails reignite the fire in his eyes, and he’s leader of the Mad Burnish once more. 

The captain delegates the rest of his team, save for Galo and his secondhand rescue mech, then turns to face Lio as one leader to another. 

“What do you want to do?” Ignis asks. 

“Free the Burnish,” Lio responds instantly. 

Ignis exhales through his nose, turning to face Galo with a nod. 

“Gear him up and take him with you,” he tells Galo, pulling out his communicator and walking away. 

Galo does just that, quiet as he straps a tool pack to Lio’s waist and pulls him up to ride alongside him in the mech. Lio’s arm is shockingly cold when he hoists him up, but his grip is just as strong as when he woke up and caught Galo’s fist in one hand, so Galo decides to let it slide for now.

Galo can’t think of anything reassuring or helpful to say. Not anything that wouldn’t be drowned out by the constant pleas for help that surround them, anyway. But he does know what to do, how to take action. It’s his job.

They get to work, tearing up pod after pod by the bolts, carrying out people that weep or laugh or go limp in their arms, or worse. Sometimes they bust open a pod to a face full of dust and the smell of stale smoke.

Hours in, and the numbness starts to wear off. Galo wouldn’t have noticed how his hands were beginning to blister if not for the pain and swelling in his fingers. Normally, they would turn an angry red, but the coat of ashes covering his skin is too thick to see through. 

They keep working. 

* * *

Countless empty- no, _emptied_ pods later, and the captain calls them up top. Lio’s reluctant to stop, but Ignis is insistent that he’ll want to see what’s happening above. 

When they reach the surface again, the first thing they see is a darkening sky. 

The next- a sea of tents, tables, and people in the thousands bustling about. 

There’s a consistent flow of bodies weaving through the stations- some hurried, many sluggish but determined. Seated in foldable chairs, or boxes, or sometimes just the ground, are people decorated in gauze. Water bottles and snack bars are passed out indiscriminately, to anyone and everyone who isn’t in constant motion. 

A large huddle of people gather near a medical tent. It’s mostly small families, and an abundance of children, flanked by two mean looking dudes who stare wide-eyed at Galo’s mech. 

The one with long hair mouths something before they both abruptly stand up, staggering forward. 

Galo feels more than hears the sharp intake of breath behind him before Lio clambers out of the mech. A hand presses into his shoulder, and Galo doesn’t have time to think of grabbing it before Lio vaults himself over Galo’s shoulders and hits the ground running. 

His generals meet him halfway through the crowd, rushing out and crushing Lio in a smothering embrace. 

Galo can’t hear what they’re saying from so far away, but he can see the way Lio’s frame shakes in their hold, and the tears rolling down his generals’ faces as they hold him tight and murmur things into his hair. 

Ignis appears at the side of Galo’s mech, hand bracing himself against the cool metal. 

“Time for you two to tap out for a bit,” he says. “There are rations tents set up all over the place- find some food for you both and then head back to the station. Get some sleep. Come back as soon as you’re up for it.” 

“But-“ 

“Don’t start,” Ignis sighs tiredly. “You know better. We need you at your best, hero.” 

Damn, even with the sarcastic tone it still did wonders for unwinding the knot in his gut. Part of him knows the wording is intentional; he listens best when his ego is inflated, but whatever. He’s earned it. 

Galo grins, saluting with two filthy fingers before hopping out of the mech. “You got it, Cap!” 

He ends up chugging two water bottles dry before he can bring himself to ease up. He uses a few spare drops to scrub at his hands a bit - get some color back in his fingers and get rid of some of the… ash. 

Galo shakes out his hair, which is full of dust and debris as well, and then begins loading up plates for both him and Lio. 

Balancing multiple water bottles and two plates of hot food in his arms- an assortment of breads, grains, and capped bowls of some kind of soup, he makes his way towards Lio and his generals, who sit huddled together by a group of rescued families. 

Galo can recognize some of the people in the crowd from the pods. The look on their faces as they all collectively stare at Lio speaking to his generals is that of deep reverence and awe. 

An older woman holding a child to her chest timidly taps Lio on the shoulder, and visibly flushes when he turns his full attention to her. 

She speaks softly, rubbing circles into the child’s back, and her wobbly smile turns wet as tears begin to pool in her eyes. Whatever else she intended to say becomes warbled between the numerous tearful thank-yous. 

He can’t see Lio’s face, but he can see the way his shoulders tighten as she continues to speak. 

Galo ungraciously inserts himself into the equation, shoving a plate into Lio’s face.

“Better eat up!” He says, loud enough for the entire congregation to hear. “We’ve been at it all day. Gotta refuel.” 

Galo carefully slides the other plate in front of the teary-eyed woman. “You too, ma’am.” 

“Oh, please,” she sniffs. “I’m alright, really-” 

“I’m sure you’ve been strong, and very brave,” Galo speaks, softer now, eyes warm as he looks upon the sleeping bundle in her arms. “But now’s the time to make sure everyone’s taken care of. Including yourself.” 

A shaky laugh escapes her, and she accepts the plate with a gracious smile. “Thank you.” 

“Of course!” He grins, turning to face Lio. “You too, big boss-” 

Lio’s staring at him with an expression he can’t read, and definitely not touching the plate of food set out in front of him, so Galo decides to jostle him up a bit by throwing his arm over Lio’s shoulders and-

Nearly jumps from how freezing cold his skin is. 

Galo almost comments as much, but the word’s die in his throat as Lio fixes him with a firm glare, grabbing a bowl of soup and uncapping the lid. 

He takes a hurried sip, jolting and nearly spilling it everywhere as he pulls away in shock. 

Galo laughs heartily, squeezing around Lio’s ice cold shoulders and ignoring the goosebumps that break out across his skin. “Too hot for you, big boss?” 

The surrounding onlookers break out in surprised laughter, many Burnish elbowing each other about encountering similar issues. 

Lio levels another glare in Galo’s direction, but Galo doesn’t miss the way his lips quirk up in a cheeky little smirk behind his too-hot bowl of soup. 

* * *

A hot meal and a short rest later, and the crowd’s mostly dispersed elsewhere. Anyone with the strength to help lift debris or carry people to medical tents or hand out rations is helping out where and when they can. 

The others are finding short amounts of rest in borrowed sleeping packs and hastily set up cots. The Mad Burnish generals- Meis and Gueira, Lio had informed Galo, were brought back to the station in Aina’s jet.

Local officials suggested that any recognizable figures of power from the previously opposing side of a decades long civil war needed some level of protection. No one was inclined to disagree. 

When Galo stands again, he can feel the strain in muscles and the sting in his fingers. Yep. Time to go. 

Lio pulls himself up beside him, already turning towards the mech with renewed purpose. He’s got goosebumps littered across his skin, a stiffness to his movements, and the bags under his eyes are getting darker. 

Galo can tell he’s running on fumes, and tries not to stare too hard at the pale skin of his (not fractured, not fading away) chest. 

He grips Lio’s forearm. 

“You’re coming with me,” Galo states, not asks. 

They both know Galo’s not going back down to the pods. He hates it- not being able to jump right back into the action, but his body is at its limit and he knows Lio is probably barely standing on his own two feet right now. 

Especially after… Galo watches the steady yet shallow rise and fall of Lio’s shoulders as he breathes in the cool night air. 

There’s a retort that doesn’t quite make it past his lips as Lio wobbles in place. Galo’s grip on his arm anchors him. 

He doesn’t try to pull away, but his gaze never leaves the sight of the seemingly endless sea of unopened pods beneath them. 

“They’re not going to stop,” Galo says firmly, feeling the muscles in Lio’s arm stiffen. “We’re not stopping, either. But we both need to rest and recoup if we’re gonna keep it up.”

Silence. 

Galo frowns, knowing he’ll already have to negotiate with Lio if he wants him to rest before he passes out. 

He tries again. “You and I can come right back after we get some shut eye. Promise.”

A puff of breath escapes Lio’s lips. “...You and I, huh?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Galo replies, hand slipping down to gently hold Lio’s elbow. “We’re a team.” 

Lio doesn’t respond, at least not verbally. But the set of his shoulders eases ever so slightly, and he finally rips his eyes away from the pods to turn and give Galo a short nod. 

They find Galo’s bike- busted up, but still running well enough- in one of the makeshift garage ports down below the side of the ship. It’s a short ride to Burning Rescue headquarters, made even shorter by the fuzziness in Galo’s brain.

He has a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time, and his head keeps flip-flopping between the road, the thought of countless unopened pods, and the feeling of freezing, thin arms wrapped around his waist. 

Station 3 is quiet when they enter. Their footsteps echo against the concrete floor as they make their way up to the living quarters. Past the kitchen, into the hall, and left before the showers is where the bunks are situated. Rows of beds line the walls. 

In the far corner is a particularly lumpy looking bed, with two heads of blue and red hair sticking out from beneath a pile of blankets. Seated atop the bed next to them is Aina, leaning against the wall with her phone lighting blue against her pale face. 

Aina and Galo make eye contact as they enter. She catches sight of Lio behind him, mouth pressing into a thin line, and then thumbs to the bunk at the far end of the room. 

There’s a pile of extra blankets on top. Galo opens his mouth to speak, but Aina presses a firm finger to her lips, so he opts for mouthing a ‘thank you’ as he tugs Lio along to the edge of the bed. 

Galo yanks off his utility belt, setting his equipment atop the nightstand beside the bed as quietly as he can. He turns and makes quick work of removing Lio’s gear too, muttering a little apology under his breath when he accidentally pulls one of the thousand belts on Lio’s waist and ends up jerking him forward. 

Lio braces a hand against his shoulder, and his fingers are still frustratingly ice cold even though they’ve been inside a heated building for several minutes now. 

So Galo sets off to fix that- unraveling the many blankets and setting them on top of each other in what ends up being the world’s heaviest bed set. It’ll do well to trap in the heat, he thinks with a satisfied nod. 

Lio’s hand falls away from his shoulder, and he tries to make his way to the bed adjacent to the one Galo is setting up, so Galo swings an arm around, pulls him to his chest, and tips over.

They fall into a bed definitely not designed to fit two people, and Lio ends up in what is practically a headlock atop Galo’s chest. 

“Idiot!” He whispers harshly, struggling in the arm wrapped tightly around him. “Let go!” 

The rest of him is just as ice cold as his fingers, which press insistently at Galo’s stomach, and it has Galo’s very bare skin breaking out in goosebumps. He tightens his grip, wrestles the blankets over them both, and hopes it’ll be enough to warm Lio up. 

“Not a chance,” Galo mutters, throwing his free arm over his eyes and forcibly readjusting their position to be more comfortable (for him, anyway). “I know you’re gonna try to bounce as soon as I fall asleep.” 

Lio stills in his hold, and then sighs. They both know he’s right. 

“You need rest,” Galo continues, loosening his grip to settle comfortably across Lio’s form. “You, more than anybody. Only for a little while, okay?” 

The small frame pressed up against his side relaxes ever so slightly. Warmth begins to seep in the longer they stay nice and snug together under the mountain of blankets. Lio is notably warmer now, and Galo rubs and squeezes at his arms and back to keep the blood flow going. Keeps stoking the fire. 

“...I don’t know… If I can…” Lio murmurs, his breathing already slowing to an even rhythm. Galo starts to match his breaths, keeping the pace. The weight atop his chest pulls him further towards sleep. 

“Just stay with me,” Galo grumbles, and then they’re both out. 

* * *

It takes three days to empty all the pods.

It takes another three weeks to move everyone off that death trap of a ship and into some sort of temporary, but secure, public housing. It’s not just Burnish victims who need a roof over their heads right now- the ship crashing back down to earth had destroyed miles and miles of long established housing. The entire city is a construction project. 

They continue to work at tearing down the Parnassus, turning the materials over to hastily put together housing plans. As it turns out, the exterior of a warp-ready spaceship makes excellent building material.

At the tail end of every conversation concerning the welfare of survivors with the final say in decision making is Lio. 

They may not want to use the term Burnish these days- after all, no one can conjure up flames anymore- but Lio is still the leader of the Mad Burnish in the end, and one of the respected saviors of the Earth. What he says, goes. 

At least, that’s how people treated him at first. 

Galo watches from afar as the stress of pushback from more and more emboldened anti-Burnish officials eats away at Lio. He’s been distant since that first night they slept toge- _er,_ took a nap to- shared the same bed. 

It would probably sting more if Galo took it personally, but he doesn’t. Decides not to. 

Lio is careful about getting at least a little bit of sleep now. He knows if he neglects himself, he has his two generals and the entirety of Burning Rescue and any of his loyal followers to call him out on it. He shares meals with families and workers to boost morale, and sleeps when and where people can see him resting.

He ends up needing a ridiculous amount of blankets to keep from shivering when he sleeps though, so he typically knocks out after everyone’s already had time to rest so he doesn’t end up hoarding covers for himself. Trying to be considerate. Probably. 

His breaks haven’t overlapped with Galo’s much lately. Again, nothing personal. Just taking care of business. 

It’s not as though Galo isn’t busy with his own responsibilities- he’s a capable mech pilot, and puts in plenty of time contributing to taking apart the Parnassus. Not many people are willing to get near it now, considering its original purpose, but for Galo it’s almost therapeutic. 

He’s ripping apart a source of suffering, literally, and using the parts to build a better future. 

That mentality keeps him steady, keeps his mind from straying to his own demons. He lets himself focus on rebuilding, for now, until he can find time to confront the rest later. 

Galo wonders how Lio keeps himself anchored. 

Lately, it’s been harder on him. Relief funds come slower now. Big political figures make a big show of “contributing to the cause” and then slowly back away as Lio demands for aid outside of just housing and food rations. They need laws to be put in to protect them, systems in place to sustain and nurture the communities, he says, and people tug at their ties and get all quiet and uncomfortable. 

Promepolis is being rebuilt, and it’s becoming clearer and clearer who wants things to change for the better, for everyone, and who just wants the comfort of what’s familiar.

Lio bears the brunt of it all; receives every hesitation and rejection of his ideas in the face, with much more dignity and poise than Galo could ever manage himself. 

He knows Lio’s capable, and smart enough to know when and where to call people out on their bullshit, but he also just _knows_ Lio. He’s seen him enraged, and knows how easily his anger is ignited- he knows because he’s also the same way. 

So it’s hard to watch Lio just take it, over and over again, and Galo worries he might be close to a breaking point. 

There’s that, and there’s also the fact that even when he’s awake, he’s still constantly cold. 

So Galo thinks of anything he could possibly do for Lio, anything to help ease the weight of the world that sits on those tiny shivering shoulders, and comes up with one simple solution: 

_Pizza._

* * *

His favorite pizza place has been blissfully, amazingly, miraculously spared from the almost-apocalypse. 

So naturally, Burning Rescue buys at least three dozen pizzas a week for three reasons- one, to support local businesses, especially those that employ the Burnish. Two, because they have countless people coming in and out of Station 3 that need a quick bite to eat before they get back to the rush of building the new world. And finally, well… 

It’s just damn good pizza. 

On one of his breaks, Galo stops by and orders a totally sane and normal ten boxes of fresh, hot pizzas. They’re mostly his favorite- Inferno Volcano Margherita Megamax pizza, but he did throw in a few other flavors. Just in case. 

He takes two for himself, cleans them out in the span of a half hour, and then promptly dumps the remaining eight boxes into the arms of a very surprised Lio Fotia. 

He blinks, hardly able to see over the sudden mountain of pizza boxes in his arms. “…Huh?” 

“For you!” Galo exclaims, patting the top of the boxes and grazing Lio’s fringe in the process. 

“Wh- really,” Lio grunts, shifting until he can look at Galo from behind the tall stack of hot pies in his arms. “I can’t possibly eat this much pizza on my own.” 

“Uh, yeah, you can!” Galo argues goodnaturedly. “I’ve seen you put away a pie before.” 

“One pizza is already a lot for me,” Lio frowns, readjusting the boxes lest they fall over. “This much for one person is absurd.” 

“Then you can share it with Meis and Gueira,” Galo shrugs. “I don’t care. But most of it’s for _you._ ” 

Lio eyes him curiously. “Why?” 

“A good meal to help keep you tanked up and satisfied. Helps to combat stress,” Galo notes, then pinches at the ice cold skin of Lio’s exposed wrist. “And besides, you need something hot to warm you up.” 

They stare at each other for a moment. Lio looks hesitant, like he’s thinking too hard about whether or not to say something. The way his frown deepens as he looks away, Galo assumes he probably decided not to speak out on whatever thought is currently plaguing his already overworking brain. 

Galo smiles, putting a hand on Lio’s shoulder and squeezing gently- 

-right before he _shoves_ Lio, nearly sending all those pizzas toppling to the ground.

Lio manages to balance them in place with a wide stance after a split second of staggering, his reflexes sharp as ever. 

“ _Idiot!_ ” He grits, lifting a foot to kick none-too-gently at Galo’s knees. “I could’ve dropped it all!” 

“You wouldn’t have!” Galo laughs, barely avoiding the blows. “Your reflexes are still good. But _man_ , your strength isn’t what it used to be-” 

“ _Shut up!_ ” Another series of kicks, and then Lio’s chasing him around headquarters with a leaning tower of pizza in his arms. 

“Better eat an extra pie, man. You gotta build up those little muscles!” 

_“You better watch your mouth, Thymos-”_

They spend a stupid amount of time chasing each other around, and then the two of them end up devouring the rest of the stack together. 

Lio burns his tongue a lot, but it’s fine. His appetite is better now, and his cheeks are ruddier from the exertion of their silly little game of tag. 

The shoulder that presses against Galo’s as they argue over which flavor is best is warm.

* * *

Lio, Meis, and Gueira end up sharing an apartment together. 

Which- you know, totally cool.

The past month has been a lot of the same routine- building, rebuilding, new structures, new policies. Lio and his generals have been at the forefront of it all, for the most part, but they’re finding a lot of Burnish people do actually want to be a part of the process, so they’ve been delegating. So much of the work’s been spread out between so many capable and (now) trusted parties, that Mad Burnish has had time to just kind of… be. 

When they’re not figureheads, they’re just Lio, Meis, and Gueira. 

Meis and Gueira- they’re cool dudes. Galo likes them for similar reasons why he likes Lio- they’re tough as nails, don’t take no shit, and are just as passionate as everyone else in Station 3. They care about the Burnish as if every single one of them was family, and in a way, they are. But they care about Lio a thousand times more than anyone else, and they make it known. 

Lio cares about them a lot, too. But there’s still remnants of that weird sense of worship they have for him, and Galo’s not sure that’ll ever go away. 

They’re like their own little unit, but it’s kind of weird because Galo knows that Meis and Gueira are a _thing_ and Lio’s not a _part_ of that _thing_ but he’s _definitely_ not a third wheel. Sometimes they treat him like an idol, other times they treat him like a pair of parents doting and nagging at their kid, and then sometimes it’s like...Well, Galo’s given up on trying to figure it out. 

When some of the new apartments have been completed, Meis and Gueira are as overbearing as hover-parents about having Lio move in with them. He’s a little hesitant at first, but eventually he gives in. 

“Who better to share a home with than your most trusted pals?” Gueira had said. 

And yeah, fair.

Galo would have opened up his doors to all three of them, if he had the space. And if he wasn’t absolutely certain Meis and Gueira would’ve laughed in his face and said ‘ _yeah fuck no, Matoi boy._ ’ 

It’s awesome that they have such a tight bond, and that after fighting a war they get to do a bunch of fun domestic stuff together. Meis has been talking about starting work at a local hair salon, which is also really cool. They’re beginning to build their lives in ways that don’t necessarily center around just being Burnish and defending themselves. There are opportunities for normalcy. For comfort and protection. They deserve as much. 

Galo does notice how they seem to be drifting away from Burning Rescue the more time passes. He pretends to be fine with it. 

But _man,_ he sucks at acting. 

Lio catches him pouting one day when he’s watching Lio put a bunch of paperwork into a box to bring home. He chuckles under his breath. 

“What’s with that face?” Lio teases. “Gonna miss watching me slave over paperwork all day?” 

Galo huffs. “Yeah, sure, whatever.” 

The grin falls. 

“What’re you being sour about?” Lio asks, bumping shoulders with Galo as he passed by to stack the box atop the several others positioned by the door. 

He’s been doing that a lot lately. A bump of the shoulder, a pat on the back as he passes by. Kind of mimicking Galo’s excessive use of physicality, but in much subtler ways. 

Galo thinks it’s meant to reassure him, which only makes him feel that much more like an immature kid throwing a dumb temper tantrum. 

“I’m not bein’ sour,” Galo retorts weakly, crossing his arms and tapping his foot against the floor. “You having your own space is a good thing. I’m happy for you.” 

Lio regards him quietly, coming to lean against the nearly empty desk of what was once his office (glorified closet). His knee knocks into Galo’s. 

“But…?” Lio murmurs, seeing right through him. 

Whatever. Might as well come out and say it. 

“I’m not gonna be seeing you around much anymore, am I?” Galo asks, looking him right in the eye. 

Lio’s eye twitches. He looks away. 

“I’m not sure yet,” he says quietly. “A lot of Burning Rescue’s priorities right now are more aligned with construction and your typical relief and rescue operations. I’m focused more on the politics of it all, right now at least…” 

“You guys are finding people suited for those kinda jobs though, right?” Galo says. “What are you gonna do now that you’ve got some time to yourself?” 

Lio smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“I don’t know yet. It’ll be the first time in a long time that I’ve been able to have time for myself. It’s kind of… new. I’m still figuring out who I am, and what I want in this new… world.” 

Galo frowns, glaring down at his boots. There’s a petulant child inside him, whining about missing Lio (and Meis and Gueira too!) and wanting him to stick around, and then there’s adult Galo who knows better and knows Lio needs time to himself to figure out who he is outside of being a leader of the people and a world renowned war hero. 

The whole of him wishes he could be the one to help Lio find himself, and find what he wants to do in life, and be right there at his side for whatever he ends up deciding, but that’s… Selfish. 

And besides, Galo knows where he belongs. Whether or not that aligns with where Lio ends up is… 

“I’ll come by to babysit you again sometime,” Lio promises, patting Galo’s knee as he stands to continue packing up his stuff. “Don’t look so sad, you big baby.” 

The joke should make him laugh, or instigate a playful fight, but it ends up making him feel exactly like a big baby who’s definitely gonna miss his friend. So he says as much. 

“I’m gonna miss having you around, man. I really like your company.”

Lio stills, and when he turns to Galo he has this surprised look on his face. As if he didn’t know Galo was so fond of him. 

As if it wasn’t totally obvious. 

“I…” Lio swallows, and smiles for real this time. “Me too.” 

That gets Galo to grin a little, but he’s still stuck on the thought of how empty Station 3 will feel without Lio _(and Meis and Gueira)_ around, so he continues to stare a hole into the floor and doesn’t really notice that Lio’s closing in on him until he feels arms wrap around his shoulders and fluffy hair tickling his nose. 

“Thank you,” Lio murmurs into his ear. “I’m gonna miss you too. Nobody else takes an ass kicking like a champ quite like you do.” 

Galo laughs through the small shudder that rips through him. He wraps an arm around Lio’s middle, and squeezes a hand around his forearm. 

“Still cold all the time?” He asks, feeling the cool, pale skin beneath his fingers. It’s definitely an improvement from those first few weeks, but he’s still got a below average body temperature. 

“I’m fine,” Lio hums, squeezing him once for good measure. “You’re doing a good job of warming me up. You always do, Galo.” 

Ah. 

Galo smiles with his teeth, and his whole body kicks it up a notch because Lio is adding fuel to the fire of his burning soul like he always does, whether he knows it or not. He’s sure his face is flushed and he doesn’t want Lio to see, so he grabs him with both arms and crushes him to his chest. 

A wheeze escapes Lio’s small form, and he barely manages to hold on as Galo swings him around a few times. 

The world’s moving on, they’re moving on, but they’ll be okay. 

The next time Galo sees Lio is a little over a week later, when Lio exits Ignis’ office with a wide grin and a Burning Rescue jacket draped over his shoulders.

* * *

Having Lio on the team is kind of a dream come true. He fits in perfectly, and offers a set of skills and finesse that you don’t often see in rookies. Not that anyone would dare call him that.

It’s easier to keep each other in check than it is to try to keep their own crazy impulses under control. Galo is a wild card, but Lio’s really good at improvising with his crazy last-minute plans, and things typically end up a lot smoother (and safer). 

Lio’s also got his own streak of executing outlandish ideas, and Galo’s the only one with enough balls (and brawn) to follow through. 

They’re kind of a menace to authority the way they egg each other on, but they make a great team. 

Galo feels invincible with Lio by his side, like they’ll never fail. 

Until they do. 

It’s an apartment complex fire- one of the older buildings that isn’t quite as fortified as it should have been. Most people evacuate without cause for concern, a few people get a swift rescue, but there’s a family with a known elderly member still stuck at one of the top floors. 

The elderly woman’s wheelchair is too hot to use, and her daughter and grandchild aren’t strong enough to lift her out and into the stairway. 

The two try to brave the elevator to seek out help, not knowing that Burning Rescue has the technology to identify their positions in the building, and the power shuts down. 

The elevator stops, and the shaft fills up with smoke. 

They don’t make it. 

Burning Rescue still works hard to ensure the safety of everyone else in the building. They go through the motions, secure the area, and then solemnly collect the bodies. 

It’s Galo’s first loss since he joined Burning Rescue. Lio’s too, technically, but they all know he’s lost countless others during the war. 

Galo takes it very hard. 

After an impossibly long day they make it back to the station. Everyone’s had a turn trying to comfort Galo, and each other, but they’ve been through this before and there’s not much that can be said or done. It’s part of the job. 

It’s just stupid and utterly ridiculous that they managed to save the entire world once, and today they couldn’t keep just two people alive to live another day. Some heroes. 

The truck’s emptied out by now, and it’s just Galo in the dark, still in his soot-covered gear with his head in his hands. 

He thinks back to every audacious claim he’s ever made to the admiring crowds- every promise he’s made to protect the people. To save everyone. 

Today, he failed. 

He thinks of his ample promises to Lio most of all- how they’d build and protect this new world and everyone in it, together. 

His eyes sting as he shuts them tight. 

Footsteps sound as a figure lifts into the truck. It’s Lio. If he couldn't already tell from the way he barely makes a sound when he steps into the small space, he’d still know it was Lio, because Lio’s always the first one to call him out on his bullshit. 

“You here to call me out for being the biggest hypocrite on the planet?” Galo asks mirthlessly, not bothering to lift his head. His shoulders shake with small tremors, and a soot-soaked bead of sweat rolls down his shoulders. 

He’s filthy, and as the two of them continue to occupy the small room it soon fills with the smell of heat and burning. What would otherwise be a familiar comfort to Lio is now unsettling, with the addition of an odor that is undoubtedly burnt flesh. 

“...Of course not,” Lio answers after a moment, voice as soft as the steps he takes towards Galo. 

He approaches slowly, hesitantly, coming to stand before him with his hands lifted gently upwards. Almost as if he were approaching a frightened animal. As if to not scare him away. 

His gloved fingers trail upwards and leave feather-light touches as they graze past Galo’s shoulders, palms flattening against the muscles wound tight near the base of his neck. The leather is cool against the heat still rolling off Galo’s adrenaline-pumped body, and the tension in his muscles begins to give a little. 

Lio soothingly presses one hand right in the dip between Galo’s shoulder blades, the other coming to rest against the base of his neck, fingers carding through short buzzed hair. 

He’s not sure if the shudder that rips through him is any different from the awful tremors that continue to wrack his body, but the ice in his gut begins to melt away. Lio pulls him gently forward, and Galo doesn’t resist as his forehead comes to rest against the soot-stained fabric of Lio’s (his) borrowed shirt. 

Galo swallows thickly. 

“I’ve never failed a rescue mission before.” 

“I know,” Lio murmurs, steady against the shaking form in his arms. “It happens.” 

‘Not to me,’ Galo thinks unhelpfully. He shuts his eyes tight against the wave of guilt that crashes against him. 

The feeling of invincibility that came with saving the world persisted for so long, heightened by having Lio at his side after it all, now suddenly rips out of him and leaves a gaping hole in its wake. He feels cold, and small, and as incapable as a stupid young boy with nowhere to run but into the arms of someone stronger than him. Someone who could save his life and destroy it if he wanted to-

“Galo,” Lio says quietly, cutting into his spiraling thoughts like a knife. “You can’t save everyone.” 

He doesn’t reply. Can’t, with the way his throat seizes up and blocks out anything he would’ve said. Lio continues to stroke small patterns into the back of his head, and it’s almost enough to calm him down. 

“...During the war,” Lio continues softly, “we lost so many of us. Friends, allies… Family.” 

Galo swallows. 

“I’ve made many promises to people,” Lio murmurs. “Promises I tried to keep and just… Couldn’t. We had power, and strength, and the will to see through our ambitions. But sometimes, even with all that, it’s not always enough. But we kept going. Kept trying.” 

It’s something Galo has wondered about in quiet moments, but never asked. Didn’t want to overstep.

“Why?” He asks, thumbing the edge of Lio’s (his) shirt. He can already guess the answer. Knows it too, deep down. 

“When I think about the people we did save,” Lio replies, hand on the back of Galo’s neck gently guiding him to meet his gaze, “the people who get a chance at a life worth living… A life with opportunity, and community, and protection in this new world that you and I made together, I know it’s all worth it.” 

A laugh bubbles out of his chest. “You and I, huh?” 

Lio smiles, reaching up and placing a gloved palm against Galo’s cheek. 

“You and I,” he affirms, thumb sweeping across his cheekbone. “We’re a team.” 

Galo breaks out into a full on grin. “Yeah, we are.” 

Lio chuckles under his breath, warmth in his eyes. He lowers until he’s nearly squatting, eye level with Galo, both hands cradling Galo’s face. 

“I’m here today because of you,” he says firmly. “You saved me. Don’t ever forget that, Galo Thymos.” 

Galo softens under his gaze before a shit-eating grin takes over his face. “Oh yeah! You still owe me for that one, dude.” 

“I-what?” Lio stutters, eyes wide. “What do you mean, _owe_ you?” 

“I set a fire for you, man!” Galo exclaims, dramatically placing a hand against his chest. “Remember that? When I was saving your life? Still haven’t taken responsibility for that, you jerk.” 

“Responsibil… _Really,_ Galo?” 

Galo folds his arms. “You messed with my firefighter’s honor. How’re you gonna make it up to me, Lio?” 

The hands around his face tighten their grip in annoyance, Galo’s cheeks squishing together in the process. 

“Idiot,” Lio says, but the fondness in his voice overpowers the irritation. “I can think of a few ways.” 

His eyes dart down and back up, and Galo’s cheeks erupt in flames. 

Oh. _Oh-_

“Oh!” 

Galo stares. Lio stares back. They turn in sync, facing towards the entrance of the truck and finding Aina blinking owlishly at them. 

“Uh,” she squints. “ _Heeey_. Am I interrupting something?” 

Nope. Not at all. Galo’s skin absolutely is _not_ on fire from whatever was about to _definitely not happen-_

“We’re fine,” Lio says, standing and lifting his hands, leaving Galo’s cheeks to the blissfully cool air. 

“O- _kaaay,_ ” she says slowly, leaning over and grabbing one of the empty coolant containers to her left. “Just gonna grab these and uh, leave you guys to it, I guess…” 

“ _I’ll help!_ ” Galo pipes up, voice a little higher than he intended. 

“Me too,” Lio adds, mussing up Galo’s mohawk for good measure as he passes him to help Aina. 

Galo grins, and it’s a little wobbly, but that’s okay. 

They’re okay.

* * *

Galo is definitely _not_ okay. 

In the weeks that follow, Lio is as normal as ever. 

That kind of fucks him up, actually. 

Ever since their little chat in the back of the truck, Galo can’t stop thinking about… Well, _Lio_. Maybe he was a little hypersensitive then, given what had gone down that day, because the feeling of Lio’s hands on his back and in his hair and on his face- it all just kind of. Lingers. 

Gives him a tingly feeling in his spine. 

He chalks it up to it just being a moment of vulnerability that still has him feeling a little raw, but when weeks go by and every friendly little passing touch has him burning up again, and well… 

There was also that split second that he thought Lio was going to- 

_“Galo.”_

He nearly jumps out of his skin at the feeling of cool fingers at his spine. 

_“Woah!_ ” Galo exclaims, whipping around and almost knocking Lio in the nose with his elbow. “ _Jesus,_ Lio. Warn a guy!” 

Lio has the gall to snicker at him. He ducks under Galo’s lifted arm, hand at the small of his back and shoulder pressed into Galo’s side. 

Oh, yeah. He also does that now. 

The new normal. 

“What were you doing up here?” Lio asks curiously. 

They stand together on the roof of Station 3, overlooking the city. 

It’s different now. There’s a skeletal version of the Parnassus still left to deconstruct. It’s slow work, but steady, and the buildings that are erected with the spare parts are sturdy and filled to the brim with people just happy to have a home. 

There are murals all over the city. Some depict the battle atop the ship, some depict the Promare by those who witnessed them in those final moments, but for the most part they feature the numerous Burnish lost to the war. 

They’re starting over, but they won’t forget. 

Galo lets his arm rest around Lio’s shoulders. 

“Just admirin’ the view,” he says. “The new complexes are looking good.” 

“They are,” Lio agrees, pointing a finger out to one a few streets down. “That one in particular has a garden on the roof.” 

“That’s cool,” Galo replies with a grin. “Wouldn’t mind having a place that comes with its own homegrown veggies.” 

“I know, I was considering it..” Lio murmurs, catching himself and stiffening. 

Galo glances down at him in surprise. “Considering what? The apartments?” 

Lio looks away.

“Yes.” 

“But I thought..” Galo frowns, tilting to face each other better. “Everything okay with Meis and Gueira?” 

“No, I mean,” Lio sighs. “Yes, things are going well. Living together and being able to relax for a change has been really great. So great, in fact, that they’ve decided to get married.” 

“Oh, _what-_ ” 

“But you didn’t hear it from me,” Lio says, pinching into his companion’s side. “They haven’t made the announcement yet. The entirety of Burning Rescue is invited to the wedding, of course.” 

“That’s awesome!” Galo exclaims, almost lost in the excitement before he circles back to his original line of thought. “So wait, you’re looking at other apartment buildings because…?” 

“Because I want to give them some…” Lio huffs. “ _Space._ ” 

The way he says it, it sounds like Lio’s the one who needs space. 

Galo hums thoughtfully, patting Lio’s shoulder. “Not lookin’ forward to the honeymoon phase, huh?” 

Lio groans. “It’s already here.” 

Galo laughs. 

The breeze picks up, and Lio shivers, so Galo tucks him further under his arm. They settle in further against each other, and it’s less like a friendly arm-around-the-shoulder situation and more of a cute cuddle. 

His skin tingles where Lio’s hand gently curls into his side. The wind is blowing Lio’s hair into his face, and it’s kind of tickling Galo’s shoulders a bit, and he can smell the rose-scented shampoo Lio uses. 

Galo leans his cheek against Lio’s head and closes his eyes. Lets his gut fill up with butterflies and his whole body heats up too. He lets himself get carried away with the feeling of Lio in his arms and at his side and the rightness of it all- 

And then he also forgets to think before he speaks. 

“Stay with me,” he murmurs into Lio’s hair. 

They both freeze.

Lio cranes his head to look at Galo with wide eyes. “ _What?_ ” 

“Uhhh,” Galo’s brain takes a second to reboot. “You could, uh… Stay with me. At my place.” 

They both gape at each other for a few moments before Lio smacks his hand against Galo’s chest. 

“Don’t offer something like that if you’re not _sure_ about it, _dumbass!_ ” 

“What? _No! I’m-_ ” Galo laughs nervously and avoids eye contact. “I’m _totally_ sure. Yup. It’s a great idea!” 

“ _You just made that up on the spot!_ ” Lio scolds, cheeks surprisingly pink. 

Emboldened, Galo leans forward until his big cheeky grin is right up in Lio’s face. 

“Maybe so!” He exclaims loudly, holding back a laugh at the way the man in his arms winces. “Still a great idea though. Maybe the best I’ve ever had!” 

“Don’t make fun of me, Thymos.” 

“I’m not!” 

Lio scoffs, rolling his eyes. 

“No, seriously, dude!” Galo grins, holding on as Lio begins to pull away. “I was gonna invite you to stay with me way back before you and the newlyweds got a place together.” 

His eyebrows raise. 

“What- _really?”_

Okay, so. Maybe he’s giving himself away a little. Maybe a lot. 

Fuck it. 

“Yup,” Galo answers honestly. “Didn’t wanna intrude on the threesome, though.” 

A pause. They stare at each other. Galo’s face explodes in a deep flush.

Lio breaks out in mortifying, glorious laughter. 

He’s never seen him laugh that hard before. No one’s seen him laugh that hard, probably. He’s not sure Lio’s ever laughed that hard in his life.

The look on his face- a wide, toothy smile, cheeks flushed and spotted with freckles, eyes shut tight with long lashes decorated with tears of mirth- it gives him butterflies and stokes the flames in his heart. 

He could get used to this. 

“ _Lio!_ ” He yells through a mortified laugh. “Come on, you know I didn’t mean it like _that!_ ” 

“ _How else- why-_ ” Lio’s gasping for air, a trembling fist against Galo’s chest as the giggles threaten to overwhelm him, “why did y-you phrase it like _that?_ ” 

“I don’t know, _jeez!_ Gimme a break!” 

It takes several more minutes for Lio to finally get the giggles under control. He doesn’t budge from his spot tucked under Galo’s arm, and Galo ruffles his hair a number of times when the laughter builds back up again. 

The sun’s starting to set, and they take a moment to admire the view. Galo peeks down at Lio, who’s still pink in the cheeks. 

“So?” Galo asks. 

Lio glances up at him with a wry smile. “So, what?” 

“So, do you wanna stay with me or not?” 

His smile fades. Oh, shit. 

“Galo,” Lio says too softly, too seriously for comfort. “I don’t know if that’s… a good idea.” 

Galo frowns. “Why wouldn’t it be?” 

Maybe because he’s loud. Maybe because he doesn’t wear a shirt often enough and throws his clothes around on furniture. Maybe because he doesn’t know how to cook. Maybe because he only eats pizza- 

“I don’t want to take advantage of…” Lio pauses, and then swallows. “...your kindness. You’ve done so much for me since we first met. I’m already so indebted to you-” 

“You can just pay me back!” Galo proclaims loudly. “With good pizza and good company!”

Despite himself, Lio smiles. “That’s all it takes, huh?” 

“Well I did save your life, so you can buy me like a thousand pizzas, I guess. But if you can’t foot the bill you’re gonna have to figure something else out, dude!” 

“A thousand pizzas?” Lio repeats in astonishment. “Is that what my life is worth to you?” 

Galo hums in thought. “Maybe more like, a million.” 

Lio laughs. 

“Seriously though, Lio. Move in! I’ve got space.” 

He doesn’t have much space, not really. But he’ll make space for Lio. He’ll move mountains for Lio. 

Lio smirks, raising a brow. He can probably smell the bullshit. 

“You are really set on this.” 

Galo puffs his chest. “I am!” 

Lio hums. “Do you know what you’re asking, Galo Thymos?” 

He twists in Galo’s hold until they’re practically chest to chest. His arms snake around Galo’s middle. Lio has to crane his neck a bit to face Galo properly, and he’s very. Very close. 

Galo’s brain lags for a moment. “Yeah… I know.” 

He gulps. Lio regards him thoughtfully. 

“Are you sure?” He asks, no nonsense. “I’m asking you to read between the lines here.” 

Galo lets out a shaky breath, gathers his courage, and tentatively places his hands on Lio’s waist. He gently knocks his forehead against Lio’s. 

“I’m sure,” he murmurs, eyes closed and cheeks red. “And you still haven’t taken responsibility.” 

He hopes it’s the right thing to say. He hopes he’s reading between the lines right, sending the right signals, and that he’s not wrong about what might have happened a few weeks ago in the back of the truck. 

He also hopes he’s been obvious enough about how much he likes Lio. Hopes the countless pizzas speak for themselves, and the sparring sessions too, and all the hair ruffles and side hugs and brushes of fingertips on skin as well. 

Every spare glance. Every smile. Every rare, sudden, surprised laugh. 

Galo likes Lio so much. He _adores_ him. Maybe even loves him. 

He hopes Lio feels the same. 

Lio laughs. Galo gets his answer with the press of lips against his own. 

It’s warm. 

**Author's Note:**

> okay now ill get back to writing zero sum game


End file.
